Criminal Court “A” has released from the Monrovia Central Prison about thirty-nine (39) pretrial detainees who have overstayed the statutory period required for pretrial detainee to be indicted. According to the Judge of Criminal Court “A”, Roosevelt Z. Willie, the dismissal is done without prejudice to the state.
According to Judge Willie, Section 18.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law states that, unless good cause is shown, the court shall dismiss a complaint against a defendant who is not indicted by the end of the next succeeding term after his/her arrest for an indictable offense or his/her appearance in court in response to a summons or notice to appear, charging him with such an offense.
Those released by the court included individuals who have been imprisoned since 2017 for crimes ranging from murder, manslaughter, conspiracy and aggravated assault to theft of property, armed robbery, circumstantial murder, criminal trespass and burglary.
According to the court, “Consistent with Title 2—Liberian Code of Law Revised—Criminal Procedure Law, Chapter 18.2, the court hereby sua sponte, order the release of the following defendants or pretrial detainees who have overstayed the statutory period required for pretrial detainee to be indicted. This dismissal is done without prejudice to the state.”
The release order was issued on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “A” for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, sitting in its August Term 2024.